David Gates (guitar, keyboards, bass and vocals) and Jimmy Griffin (guitar and vocals) formed the group in 1968, adding Robb Royer (guitar, bass and vocals of Pleasure Faire) before signing to Elektra Records. Bread, the band's debut album as a trio, was a failure. The band became a quartet beginning with their second album, On The Waters, bringing in Mike Botts as permanent drummer. This time their efforts quickly established Bread as a major act, hitting the mainstream with the #1 hit "Make It With You" in 1970. Bread began touring and recording the 1971 album titled Manna, which included their most enduring hit, "If."
Royer left the group after three albums to pursue other interests. He was replaced by Larry Knechtel (keyboards, bass, guitar, harmonica), a top session player from the Los Angeles scene. Knechtel's credits included records by Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, The Monkees, Jan and Dean, Johnny Rivers and Simon & Garfunkel. In 1972 Bread released the highly successful album titled Baby I'm-a Want You, followed by another hit album, Guitar Man. Tensions existed between Gates and Griffin, however. Elektra had been invariably choosing Gates' songs for the A-sides of the singles; Griffin felt that the singles should have been split between the two, however.
By 1973 the band members sensed that they had taken Bread as far as they could, so they disbanded. Gates and Griffin then began solo careers, with mixed results. After reuniting in 1976, Bread released the album Lost Without Your Love in January 1977. The title track was the band's last top-ten hit, peaking at number 9 on the singles chart. The comeback album was also RIAA-certified Gold®.
2. Bread (Joe Kosnow) is a rapper from Portland, ME.
Let Me Go
Bread Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I can pull myself up to the door
You see I've tried my best to stay here
But I can't see you anymore
There's something I've just gotta tell ya
There's something keeps bringing me down, ya know
There's one thing more I've just gotta ask ya
Won't you please let me go?
If I'm to meet my master
If I'm to rule my fate
You know it couldn't come any faster, babe
But see I know it's not too late
Time has not been good for us
No time has not been kind
We've done all that we could for us
More time won't change my mind
And when my life is over
And I'm walking out in the rain
Let me lie down in the clover
And look up to the sun again
It's not that I did not love you
But something kept bringing me down, ya know
There's something that I've just gotta tell you
Once again now, baby
Let me go, let me go
In Bread's song Let Me Go, the singer is expressing his desire to leave his current situation, which could be a relationship or a place that he no longer wants to be in. He emphasizes how he has tried his best to stay but cannot see the person he's addressing anymore. He then goes on to say that there's something that keeps bringing him down and that he needs to tell them before he can go. The singer also implies that he has a higher power that he needs to answer to, and he needs to rule his fate or meet his master, which suggests that leaving is essential to fulfilling a greater purpose in his life.
The song overall is bittersweet, with the singer acknowledging that time has not been good or kind to them, and despite doing all they could to keep things together, more time won't change his mind. However, he shows that he still cares as he wishes to lie down in the clover and look up to the sun one last time. He reiterates that it's not that he doesn't love the person he's addressing, but something keeps bringing him down. The song ends with an appeal to let him go.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I've got to leave here
I have to leave this place
If I can pull myself up to the door
If I have the strength to leave
You see I've tried my best to stay here
I have done all that I can to stay
But I can't see you anymore
I cannot continue this relationship
There's something I've just gotta tell ya
I have something to confess
There's something keeps bringing me down, ya know
Something is holding me back
There's one thing more I've just gotta ask ya
I have one more request
Won't you please let me go?
Please allow me to leave
If I'm to meet my master
If I am to fulfill my destiny
If I'm to rule my fate
If I am to control my own life
You know it couldn't come any faster, babe
It will happen soon
But see I know it's not too late
There is still time for me to leave
Time has not been good for us
Our relationship has suffered over time
No time has not been kind
Time has been harsh on us
We've done all that we could for us
We have tried our best
More time won't change my mind
I have made up my mind to leave
And when my life is over
At the end of my life
And I'm walking out in the rain
As I am leaving
Let me lie down in the clover
Allow me to rest in peace
And look up to the sun again
And be free from my troubles
It's not that I did not love you
I did love you
But something kept bringing me down, ya know
But something was holding me back
There's something that I've just gotta tell you
I have something else to confess
Once again now, baby
One more time
Let me go, let me go
Allow me to leave
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benjamin Weisman, Fred Wise, Jenny Lou Carson, Kay Twomey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hunter Sullivan
on Lost Without Your Love
Lost and all alone
I always thought that I could make it on my own
But since you left I hardly make it through the day
My tears get in the way, and I need you back to stay
I wonder through the night
And search the world for the words to make it right
All I want is the way it used to be
With you here close to me
And I've got to make you see,
That I'm lost with out your love
Life without you isn't worth the trouble of
I'm as helpless as a ship without a wheel,
A touch without a feel
I can't believe its real
And someday soon I'll wake and find my heart won't have to break
Yes, I'm lost with out your love
Life without you isn't worth the trouble of
All I want is just the way it used to be
I need you here with me
Oh darling can't you see,
If we had love before we can have it back once more